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Jaina Iconography
Śvetămbaras. Curiously, the Brahmanic Purāņas like the Bhāgavala Agni and Varaha mention him as an incarnation of Viṣṇu although by his symbolism of a bull and his place of Moksa as Kailasa, one is tempted to connect him with Siva in these respects. Whatever may be the real or supposed relation between these three gods, that he is prominently a Jaina Prophet and his image has little or no connection with any Brahmanic image may be taken as a proven fact.
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The explanation of his bull symbol is clear from the origin of his name. His mother like the mothers of all the Tirthamkaras saw certain dreams and the first dream was about a bull. Hence, the name of the Jina as Vṛṣabhanatha or Rṣabhanatha and the symbol of bull as invariably connected with his representation.1 The symbol of his Yakṣa Gomukha having a bull's face has a definite connection with the same origin. Cakres vari, the Yakşini of the Jina looks like the Vaiṣṇavi, the wife of Brāhmanic Visņu. Thus, the originator of the sculpture tried to show the superiority and triumph of Adinātha over Šiva, and Visņu, the two greatest gods of the Brāhmaṇas.
Ajilanatha Saptaparna
The Jaina original books give him the symbol of elephant (Gaja) and his other symbol, namely his special tree (kevala
ऊर्वोर्वृषभलाञ्छनमभूद् भगवतो जनन्या च चतुर्दशानां स्वप्नानामादावृषभो दृष्टस्तेन ऋषभः ।
Hemacandra: Abhidhana-Cintamani
"All mothers of Tirthankaras see, first of all, this elephant in their dreams excepting only the mother of Rṣabhadeva, who saw a bull first, hence the child's name. Mrs. Stevenson's Heart of Jainism, p. 22. The 14 Dreams are:
qat af: fqqet: aqrit zfq: 1 महाध्वजः पूर्णकुम्भः पद्मसरः सरित्पतिः ॥ विमानं रत्नपुञ्जश्च विधुरग्निरिति क्रमात् । ददर्श स्वामिनी स्वप्नान्मुखे प्रविशतस्तदा ||
Trişaşti-Salaka, Parva 10, Sarga II-19-21. Ullarapurana, Parva 48.
